One thousand years after a cataclysmic event leaves humanity on the brink of extinction, the survivors take refuge in continuums designed to sustain the human race until repopulation of Earth becomes possible. Against this backdrop, a group of young friends in the underwater Thirteenth Continuum dream about life outside their totalitarian existence, an idea that has been outlawed for centuries. When a shocking discovery turns the dream into a reality, they must decide if they will risk their own extinction to experience something no one has for generations, the Surface.

Anyone who visits Buried Under Books on a fairly regular basis knows that I have a fondness for post-apocalyptic and/or dystopian fiction. I haven’t read any in a while, more than a month, so I was was quite happy when the opportunity to review The 13th Continuum came along and, in most ways, Ms. Brody didn’t let me down.

Worldbuilding is a crucial component of any science fiction and, in particular, this kind of book and I did think it was just slightly lacking here but not by much. The truth is I haven’t found more than a few books that have truly incredible worldbuilding so I’ve come to a place of contentment when enough is provided to give me a sense of place and the people and the reason(s) for how society has gotten to the state it’s in. This author has devoted a lot of time, thought and effort towards creating a future that’s very credible.

What we find here is that, although this is a future time and life as we know it today has changed a great deal, the characteristics that make up humanity haven’t changed all that much. The best part of that is that I found it easy to connect with Myra and Aero, two characters who are so believably drawn that they’re almost here in the flesh. Tinker and other secondary players, even their adversaries, are just as vivid.

The story here is complex, highly entertaining, thought-provoking and as intriguing as any I’ve read in quite a while. I hope that word of this book will spread widely throughout the young adult market, as well as adult, because it’s such a shining example of how good science fiction really can be when it’s done right. The next book, Return of the Continuums, will be out in November, not nearly soon enough for this reader who wants to know what will happen next.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, April 2016.

Also in the Series:

************

About the Author

Jennifer Brody’s debut novel The 13th Continuum sold to Turner Publishing in a 3-book deal and is being packaged into a feature film. The book is the first in a trilogy and will come out in Spring 2016. She is a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. She lives and writes in LA.

After studying film and graduating from Harvard University, she began her career in feature film development. Highlights include working for Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes and New Line Cinema, most notably on “The Lord of the Rings” films and “The Golden Compass”. In 2008, she produced the feature film “Make It Happen” for The Weinstein Company. Her recipes and articles have appeared in xoJane, Fox News, Parade Magazine, Whole Life Times, and Meatless Monday, and many other publications.

She is an alumni of the Sirenland Writers Conference, where she studied with Meg Wolitzer, and the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop, where she studied with Victor LaValle. She recently completed a 3-week residency at The Lemon Tree House and has been accepted for a residency in Spring 2016 at the Helen R. Whiteley Center, run by the University of Washington.

She founded and runs BookPod, a social media platform for authors with 400 members. She’s also a mentor for the Young Storytellers Foundation. In Spring 2015, her mentee’s script was picked out of over 900 scripts for the Glee Big Show, where it was performed by the cast of the hit Fox TV show, and in Fall of 2015, her mentee’s script was chosen for the Biggest Show, where it was performed by Jack Black and Leslie Mann.

2 thoughts on “Book Review: The 13th Continuum by Jennifer Brody”

Sounds like you really enjoyed this. I like fiction that is thought-provoking. Seems like a great choice for YA readers as well.
@dino0726 from FictionZeal – Impartial, Straightforward Fiction Book Reviews

Follow Blog via Email

Winning a Contest

If you enter a drawing for a book or other prize, please make sure cncbooks1@gmail.com is in your address book. Too many winners don't respond to my email and I have to award the prize to the next entrant. That's great for the second person, not so great for you!

CONGRATULATIONS!

To recent contest/giveaway winners---
OK, I confess, I'm really lousy at keeping up with this. For right now, I'll leave the widget open in hopes that I'll get better at it :-(

Disclaimer

Due to FTC regulations, please presume that any book reviewed on this site might have been sent free by the author or publisher or some other Tom, Dick or Harry to Creatures 'n Crooks Books & Sundries, LLC, or to Buried Under Books or to our reviewers as a review copy. This does not mean that we have promised to give a favorable review. In fact, we have been known to say we don't think a particular book is the best thing since sliced bread.